Mail-bag interchanger.



J. WALSH.

MAIL BAG INTERCHANGER.

4 APPLICATION FILED DEC. H. ISIS. 1,232,631 M Patented July 10, 1917.

2 suds-sneer l- WITNESSES INV ENTOR ATTORNEY 1. WALSH.

MAIL BAG INTERCHANGER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-11,1915.

INVENTOR W M/ AT'roRNv Patented July 10, 1917.

2 swans-swan 2 fi fizm/ AVITNES(S/EVS&I

ll, Ill"- JOHN WALSH, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.

MAIL-BAG INTERCI-IANGER.

Application filed December 11, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoiiN lVALsH, a citizen of the United. States,residing at Great Falls, in the county of Cascade and State of Montana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-BagInterchangers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway mail handling apparatus,and has for its primary object the provision of a mail interchangeradapted to interchange a plurality of mail bags between a station and amoving train which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture andeffective in operation.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a mail interchangingdevice whereby two or more mail bags may be delivered to and from arailway train when passing a station, means being provided at thestation and on the train to receive the mail bags handled.

Another object of the invention is to provide mail bag holding andcollecting means at a station and on a train adapted to coact to deliverand receive mail bags.

lVith the above and other objects in view my invention residespreferably in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter set forth in the specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of a railway mail car showingmy invention associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view of the mail bag collector carried bythe car, and

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary elevational view of a locking means usedin connection with the mail bag holder carried by the car.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout thevarious views of the drawings.

In the drawings, I have illustrated a railway mail car 1 having theusual door 2 in the side thereof. I provide means on the car forsupporting one or more mail bags, said means COIHPIiSiIlg a rod 3rotatably mounted in bearing brackets 4 carried on the opposite sides ofthe door 2 and adjacent the top thereof, said rod being provided with alaterally extending arm 5 having a depending portion 6 formed with alongitudinally extending bag holding arm 7. A suitable han-Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Serial No. 66,313.

dle S is carried on the rod 3 and extends within the car whereby tofacilitate the movement of the mail bag holder into operative position.A suitable lock for maintaining the holder in such position is providedwhich comprises a sliding bolt 9 mounted in a guide 10 adjacent one sideof the car door, said sliding bolt being adapted to engage the handle 8and maintain the latter in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A mailbag receiver comprising a basket or the like 11 is carried by the car 1and projects outwardly from the side thereof for a purpose which willhereinafter appear. I provide a mail bag collector on the car 1 whichcomprises a bracket arm 12 having a base 13 rigidly carried by the j ambof the door 2, said arm being formed to provide a Ushaped extremity 14for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

I provide mail bag supporting, collecting and receiving means at astation, said means embodying a standard 15 mounted in a suitable base16 adjacent the railway track and spaced from the car a suflicientdistance to allow the basket 11 to freely pass. The upper extremity ofthe standard 15 is provided with a U-shaped collector 17 arranged in thepath of travel of the mail bag holding arm 7 and adapted to embrace thesame as shown to advantage in Fig. 2. A mail bag receiving basket or thelike 18 is mounted on the standard. 15, as at 19, to receive mail bagsdelivered from the train. A mail bag holder is mounted on the standard15 and com prises an arm 20 bolted or otherwise secured to said standardand provided with a longitudinally extending holding arm 22, said armbeing disposed in the path of travel of the collector 14. The arm 20 isprovided with an offset portion 23 to allow passage of the outermost armof the U-shaped collector 14. The relative positions of the holder andcollector are shown to advantage inFig. 2, the collector being shown indotted lines. A suitable bracing arm 24 serves to maintain the arm 20rigid.

I provide a suitable platform 25 adjacent the standard 15 having steps26 to facilitate placing of the mail bags in position for delivery. Inoperation, one or more mail bags A are placed on the holder 22 and oneor more mail bags B placed on the holding arm 7. As the train passes thestandard 15 the arm 7 carrying the bags B will pass between the arms ofthe U-shaped collector 17,

and the bags will be gathered and caused to drop into the receptacle 18.The collector 14 carried on the car operates in a similar manner andWill cause the mail bags to be moved from the holder 22 and deposited inthe receptacle 11.

In order to'fac-ilitate the removal of the mail bags from theirrespective holders, I provide U-shaped members 27 carried by the mailbags and provided With transversely extendingrods 28 which are adaptedto sup port the bags on their. respective holders. Thisconstructionallows the ready removal of the bag but ,Will positively retain the,bag,

on the holders against Wind; pressure.

From the above description taken in com nectlon With the accoinpanylngdrawlngs it is thought that a clear and comprehensive.

understanding of. the construction, operation and advantages of mylllVBlltlOILIIliLY be readily gathered, and While I have shown anddescribed the same as embodying a specific structure I desire that it beunderstood that I may make such changes therein Which do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

'A mail bag receiver including a standard, abag receptacle on thestandard, a pronged stripper above the receptacle adapted to remove thebag fromga moving bag supporting In testimony whereofl affix mysignature,

in presence of two witnesses. p

- I JOHN .WALSH.

Witnesses: V

Gr-Eo. RABAN,

A. L. G so -E.

qopies o1 this patentma y be. obtained for five cents eacnlby addressingthe Commissioner 01 Patents, Washington, D. G.

